From Tea Trails to Sunsets

Enjoy history and culture while sipping on the most exotic tea in Galle, Sri Lanka.

- SMITA TRIPATHI

What is the connection between the Dutch East India Company, Sri Lanka, India and… elephants?,” asks my guide with a chuckle when I tell him I am from India. I shrug my shoulders. “In 1638 the Sri Lankan king signed an agreement with the Dutch East India Company to ship 84 elephants, including four tuskers to India. So a lot of your Indian elephants are descendants of our Sri Lankan ones,” he says proudly, leading to much laughter all around.

I am in Galle, a charming coastal town on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka. As the sun lazily dips into the azure waters of the Indian Ocean, casting a warm golden glow over the ancient fortifications of the town, it’s easy to feel as if you have stepped into a time capsule.

Galle’s heart and soul lie within its historic fort, a UNESCO World Heritage site that dates back to the 16th Century. Originally built by the Portuguese, it was later expanded and fortified by the Dutch. The towering walls and ancient ramparts that once protected the town from invaders, now serve as a vantage point to gaze at the sea and enjoy a beautiful sunset.

The town is best enjoyed on foot, I am told. I agree, as I wander through the cobblestone streets marvelling at the fascinating fusion of European and South Asian architecture. Boutique hotels, cafes, art galleries and of course, shops selling everything from clothes to trinkets and spices, blend seamlessly into century-old buildings, transporting you to a bygone era.

I walk into a store selling spices, silver jewellery, Sri Lankan textiles and everything else that a tourist may be tempted to buy. As I wander around the store, the shopkeeper points to, what at first glance looks like a hidden chamber. On closer inspection it turns out to be a vault. The building was once the branch of an Indian bank, long abandoned. Today the vault holds cinnamon, once worth its weight in gold.